“The county soon could raise the legal age to buy tobacco, including electronic cigarettes and vaping products, to 21. County commissioners on Tuesday said they want to consider changing the age from 18 to 21. Chairman Peter O’Bryan requested an exemption for 18- to 20-year old members of the military. “If they’re willing to tote a gun and go to a foreign country and protect our rights, if they want to have a smoke, I’m more than willing to let them have a smoke,” O’Bryan said.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Indian River County considering raising legal age to buy tobacco, e-cigarettes to 21

“On September 9, 2020, the City of Chicago passed an ordinance prohibiting the sale of flavored liquid nicotine products. The City has wasted no time enforcing the ordinance. At the end of January 2021, the City of Chicago filed a complaint against an e-cigarette seller for selling flavored liquid nicotine products to underage Chicagoans. Although the city has filed lawsuits against vape companies before, this suit is the first to enforce the recently passed ban on flavored liquid nicotine products in the city of Chicago.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Enforcement Begins Under Chicago’s Ban on Flavored Vaping Products

THE DP SHOW! STOP BY TO WISH OUR FRIEND WELL!

In this Episode we discuss how not to drive a motorcycle, unbox and talk more about the Innokin Sensis, talk about the vape shipping ban and what it means and have an exciting coiling competition (suggestion… bet on Phil).

Click on the link below to be taken directly to the show at 9PM EST…

Here’s the latest from Brent Stafford at Regulator Watch:

June of last year RegWatch brought you the story of a longshot legal challenge against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by Big Time Vapes, a Mississippi vape shop and e-liquid manufacturer, and the United States Vaping Association (USVA).
The lawsuit argues Congress ceded too much authority to the executive branch when it passed the Tobacco Control Act of 2009, an authority used by the FDA to deem vaping products to be a tobacco product.

The original complaint was dismissed in U.S. District Court in 2019, and since our last coverage, the suit failed on appeal. However, it’s not over until it’s over and that leaves the U.S. Supreme Court.

Joining us today on RegWatch is Jared Najvar the lawyer behind the Supreme Court challenge and legal advocate Greg Troutman who filed an amicus brief on behalf of 19 vaping associations in support of Big Time Vape’s petition to the highest court in the land.

Could SCOTUS rule in vaping’s favor?

Find out! Only on RegWatch by RegulatorWatch.com

Released: February 11, 2021
Produced by Brent Stafford

This episode is supported by DEMAND VAPE

Make RegWatch happen, go to: support.regulatorwatch.com

“Last month, the CPSC published a warning to its website asking buyers not to purchase 18650 lithium-ion battery cells. The items, which are often found in small devices like vape pens and flashlights, are not meant to be sold individually, the commission says. But they are becoming more widely available on e-commerce websites, where they are being “separated, rewrapped and sold as new consumer batteries.” This poses a considerable risk to consumers, who may unknowingly place them in devices without proper protection, increasing the risk of fire or explosion. The CPSC said their warning is aimed at 18650 batteries that don’t have protection circuits, and not necessarily every single one being sold online. They also mentioned the repackaged 18650s have been purchased by a number of do-it-yourself communities for their e-bikes or custom battery packs.”

ARTICLE LINK:
Agency Warns Against Buying Repackaged ‘18650’ Batteries That Present Fire and Explosion Risks

“Tampa Rep. Jackie Toledo has refiled a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products to 21. The bill, HB 987, would alter current state law, which requires an individual purchasing a smoking product to be at least 18 years old. Raising the age to 21 would help the state comply with new federal regulations. “What we want to make sure is that vape products are not in the hands of our youth,” Toledo said. Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a similar bill back in September that had passed through the 2020 Legislative Session (SB 810). That bill, which Toledo sponsored in the House, would have not only raised the legal age to buy tobacco products to 21, but it would also have banned flavored nicotine products commonly used in vape cartridges. However, the recent bill filed by Toledo differs from last year in that it does not mention prohibiting the sale of flavored liquid nicotine products.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Jackie Toledo refiles bill to raise smoking age to 21

“The city of Roseville is restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products. The City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that prohibits most retailers from selling flavored tobacco products but allows the four tobacco-only shops in the city to sell flavored tobacco to customers age 21 and older.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Metro briefs: Roseville limits flavored tobacco sales

“Since coming to Congress in 2017, Rep. Josh Gottheimer has sponsored legislation to more tightly regulate tobacco products and aligned himself with a coalition of colleagues who advocate curbs on youth vaping — all while investing in a Fortune 200 tobacco conglomerate and receiving money from that firm’s political action committee. The three-term congressman’s 2019 annual financial disclosure report — the most recent, comprehensive look available into his holdings that Gottheimer filed in August 2020 — shows stock in Altria Group, Inc. and Philip Morris International Inc. Gottheimer in 2019 earned between $400 and $2,000 in dividends from companies that sell tobacco products, according to a CQ Roll Call review of his financial disclosures. Members of Congress are only required to report such purchases in pre-set ranges. Gottheimer has also received $10,500 in campaign contributions from Altria Group, Inc. Political Action Committee (AltriaPAC) since 2017, according to Federal Election Commission records. Gottheimer continued to buy Altria stock into 2021. On Jan. 11, he bought between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of Altria securities, according to his most recent periodic transaction report. He also bought securities in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Salesforce[.]com, among other companies, in the same dollar range, as reflected in the most recent transaction report. All of these are joint holdings the congressman owns with his spouse. Gottheimer is not alone in investing in tobacco stocks among members of Congress, nor is he alone in taking a position against youth vaping while having financial interests in tobacco.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Gottheimer, anti-vaping advocate, gets tobacco campaign cash and dividends

“Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to 10 firms who manufacture and operate websites selling electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products, specifically e-liquids, advising them that selling these products, which lack premarket authorization, is illegal, and therefore they cannot be sold or distributed in the U.S. The firms did not submit a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) by the Sept. 9, 2020 deadline. The 10 firms receiving warning letters are Little House Vapes LLC; Castle Rock Vapor LLC; Dropsmoke Inc.; Perfection Vapes Inc.; CLS Trading LLC d/b/a Vape Dudes HQ; Session Supply Co.; Coastal E-Liquid Laboratory/GC Vapors LLC; Dr. Crimmy LLC d/b/a Dr. Crimmy’s V-Liquid; CMM Capital LLC d/b/a ETX Vape; and E-Cig Barn LLC.”

ARTICLE LINK:
FDA Warns Firms to Remove Unauthorized E-liquid Products from Market in First Letters Issued to Manufacturers that Did Not Submit Premarket Applications by Deadline

“On Feb. 8, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong submitted testimony in support of state Senate Bill 326, An Act Prohibiting the Sale of Flavored Cigarettes, Tobacco Products, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Vapor Products. In Maryland, state legislators are also reviewing a statewide ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products. Both proposals include menthol cigarettes.”

ARTICLE LINK:   Connecticut & Maryland Eye Statewide Bans on Flavored Tobacco